Orff Schulwerk and Popular Music

Orff Schulwerk and Popular Music

In this course, participants will explore how Orff Schulwerk and popular music education (PME) can work together to create inclusive and relevant elementary music classroom. Drawing on Orff-Keetman’s elemental approach, participants will learn to design lessons that center student creativity while integrating informal learning processes common in popular music. Through hands-on experiences, teachers will adapt students' preferred music (including current songs, media and TikTok trends) for classroom use with body percussion, unpitched and pitched percussion, ukulele and music technology. Participants will leave with a ready-to-use collection of lessons, strategies and practical tools for blending Orff Schulwerk and popular music education to validate their students' musical identities and enliven their elementary music classrooms.

Instructors for the camp are David Dockan and Martina Vasil.

  • Dates: June 29 - July 3
  • Times: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Noncredit Cost: $500
  • Graduate Credit Cost: Participants wishing to receive 2 hours of graduate credit for this course may do so for an additional $1,000.
    • Do not include this payment with the $500 workshop fee. Once you have indicated your desire to take the workshop for college credit in the workshop registration process, look for instructions that will be included in your workshop registration confirmation email. Pay the $1,000 graduate credit fee separately to SMU through the university credit registration system.
  • Housing: There is no on-campus housing available for this workshop.

REGISTER HERE

Orff Schulwerk and Popular Music Faculty

David Dockan is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he teaches elementary music methods, teaching music in diverse settings, and champions the integration of popular music in the curriculum. His goal is to empower teachers to design a curriculum that mirrors the diverse musical landscape of their students' lives. His research focuses on music pedagogies, music teacher professional agency, and belonging in music education, and has been published in leading journals including the Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education, the Journal of Music, Technology and Education, Music Educators Journal, and The Orff Echo. Dockan presents workshops around the country with ideas and strategies for teaching popular music, modern band and Orff Schulwerk.

Martina Vasil is Associate Professor of Music Education and Director of Summer Music Education Programs at the University of Kentucky. She teaches undergraduate courses in elementary music methods and modern band and graduate courses in music education research and Orff. Vasil has 20 years of teaching experience, 14 with K–6 general music. She is an Orff certified teacher and has World Music Drumming Level 1 and Dalcroze and modern band training. Vasil is passionate about creating relevant, active, engaging and creative musical experiences for children which has driven her work in popular music education throughout her career.

For further information about SMU Music Educators Workshops, or to register for one of these classes, visit: https://gradadmission.smu.edu/portal/SummerMusicEdWorkshops or contact Director Dr. Julie Scott at muedworkshops@smu.edu.